The never ending saga "Genevieve Magazine Publisher Clarifies Morning Dew Mix-Up"

- June 17, 2007

Genevieve Magazine Publisher Clarifies Morning Dew Mix-Up
Lagos , Nigeria – 13 June 2007 Following the outcry from readers of Genevieve Magazine over an article which seemed to indicate that HIV positive individual should be avoided. Mrs. Betty Irabor today, responded by issuing a statement on the magazine’s website and on various blogs.
In her statement Mrs. Irabor states: “I take full responsibility for my words and actions. I am… ultimately accountable for the contents of my publication”
Mrs. Irabor regretted that the main moral and message of the article (the lamentable fact that Nigerians appear to be insensitive to the plight of people living with HIV/AIDS and the daily prejudice and discrimination that HIV positive people are subjected to) did not emerge in the final edited printed version.
“I had felt that the everyday prejudice faced by people living with HIV/AIDS was an issue” She said. “ I wrote the article to illuminate this issue and it ended up having the opposite effect because of an editorial slip”.
Citing deadline pressure she said: “I did not notice the error until the magazine was on the stands. Genevieve readers are unusually smart, well educated and reassuringly sensitive; and it was obvious that they found the article offensive… I’m not pleased that I’ve been the primary cause of that offence. Even more importantly, I have apologized to Yinka Ekpe (the subject of the article) herself and her husband, and they were kind enough to offer me their forgiveness.”
Addressing the issue of the outpouring of opinion and the deluge of email from Genevieve readers, she said: “One good outcome of my mistake is the overwhelming response of Genevieve readers and the Nigerian public at large, and the clear message that this response sends: people living with HIV/AIDS have advocates in the Nigerian public who care about their plight and are ready to speak up in their defence. Thank you , Nigeria , for taking notice, for chastising me and for teaching us all how to care again.”
Mrs. Betty Irabor is the publisher and editor-in-chief of Genevieve Magazine, Nigeria ’s foremost women’s magazine. Genevieve was first published in february, 2003 and has been acclaimed nationwide as one of the most influential publications in the country.
The March 2007 edition featured a cover photo of an HIV positive mother and her HIV negative baby. The controversial current edition of Genevieve features Dr Oby Ezekwesili on the cover and contains a publisher’s note written by Mrs. Irabor about prejudice against HIV positive individuals.

I say please let it be she has apologized! Lets all work together.